Mobile Cell Site Established Near Council, Idaho to Aid Firefighters in Idaho

Mobile Cell Site Established Near Council, Idaho to Aid Firefighters in Idaho

Verizon Wireless’ Cell on Wheels (COW) Dispatched To Help Emergency Crews Battle Gray’s Creek Fire

Media Contact Info

Bob Kelley
Robert.Kelley@VerizonWireless.com
303-694-8990

09/05/2007

Boise, ID —

What:
Verizon Wireless tapped its fleet of emergency mobile equipment yet again this year, this time in response to requests from the U.S. Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to boost wireless coverage for emergency crews battling the 24-thousand acre Gray’s Creek fire near Council, Idaho.

The Cell on Wheels, or “COW,” is a self-contained mobile cell site designed specifically for rapid and short-term network response. The COW enhances wireless coverage so that emergency response teams and other Verizon Wireless customers can make more calls.

When:
COW was deployed from Boise, Idaho, on Tuesday, September 4.

Where:
At the Emergency Command Center near the Adams County Fairgrounds in Council, approximately 120 miles north of Boise, Idaho.

Why:
Verizon Wireless uses mobile cell sites to enhance its network when there is a natural disaster or other unplanned event that calls for additional cell coverage and capacity. So far this year, Verizon Wireless has deployed mobile cell sites and other equipment to more than a dozen wildfire incidents around the country. Additionally, the company has donated more than 600 wireless phones with service to aid public safety officials and others.

Network Investment:
Verizon Wireless has invested more than $101 million in its Idaho network in the past five years.

Reliability:
In addition to its fleet of mobile equipment, Verizon Wireless’ nationwide network reliability is supported by industry-leading redundancy and maintenance measures. This has proven particularly valuable during natural disasters and other emergencies.

Standard Verizon Wireless network-reliability features include battery back-up power at all facilities as well as generators installed at all switching facilities and many cell site locations.

B-roll:
B-roll and high-quality still photographs of Verizon Wireless’ fleet of COWs can be found at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia

About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation’s most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 62.1 million customers. The largest U.S. wireless company and largest wireless data provider, based on revenues, Verizon Wireless is headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 67,000 employees nationwide. The company is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). Find more information on the Web at Cell Phones, Cell Phone Plans, Cell Phone Accessories - Verizon Wireless. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.

Mobile Cell Site Established Near Council, Idaho to Aid Firefighters in Idaho

 

Looking at the coverage maps, it looks like Council, ID is a Verizon Wireless dead zone, so maybe investing in a permanent site would be helpful.

 

Yeah you are right, and I am sure cell capacity in areas affected by wildfires just spike up crazily, so even if coverage is already there, there will be plenty of network busies.